CH 41

Anastasia was examined by a court physician who arrived shortly afterwards.

“It looks like it took longer than expected for you to regain consciousness because you were overworked yourself.”

Fortunately, there were no special health problems, and the court physician prescribed medicine that was good for recovering energy and went back.

The next person to visit the Empress was Duke Barantes.

“Your Majesty, I’m so glad you woke up safely!”

He brought the medicine he sent her last time when she returned from Santorov, this time in a box

“If you don’t have enough medicine, feel free to tell me. I’ll send you more.”

“T, thank you, father.”

Anastasia tried to smile and nod, but inside, she felt complicated.

That medicine tastes bad….

No matter how good that medicine is to her body, it was too bitter as if all the bad things in the world were put in it.

However, she couldn’t refuse when she saw his father’s eyes saying, “It’s good for your body if you eat it all.”

“You worried a lot, didn’t you? I’m sorry. I’ve been making you worry.”

“Of course. I haven’t heard from you for three days; you don’t know how nervous I was.”

Duke Barantes shook his head as if it was a terrible time to think about it again and changed the subject.

“But I am very proud of you. You’re a real empress now.”

“What?”

“When you lead people. You don’t know how impressed I was by your Majesty in the midst of all that chaos.”

Anastasia was a little embarrassed of the remark, but Duke Barantes continued in an excited voice.

“You saved those people. This old man can now die in peace……!”

“Oh, father. You’re doing it again. You have to live long.”

“That’s how much I’m thrilled, I mean, a lot. How did you think of leading the people in that urgent situation?”

“What if my father gets hurt in such a mess? I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, especially my father.”

“Oh, then you were thinking of me……!”

Emotion flashed through the eyes of Duke Barantes.

“I’m really touched. Your Majesty is the only one who thinks of me!”

Anastasia ended up smiling at a situation that seemed to have changed its position from the last time. After that, Duke Barantes went back after talking to Anastasia for a long time, and soon after, another guest arrived.

“Your Majesty, how are you?”

It was Melina.

“I was very worried. I was so surprised to see your majesty fainted at the chapel.”

“Thank you for your concern, Melina. But I’m glad everyone went home safely that day.”

“It’s all thanks to your Majesty’s excellent leadership, isn’t it? Oh, how wonderful His Majesty the Emperor was that day!”

“……His Majesty?”

“Just before the Empress fell to the floor, he just lifted you up, hugged you, and powerfully left the chapel …!”

Melina recalled and admired what happened four days ago, and Anastasia naturally pictured it in her head thanks to Melina’s detailed description.

Feeling her heart beating fast, Anastasia unwittingly squeezed the hem of her dress to calm her emotions.

“He was so charismatic. He was looking for a royal physician in a hurry, he looked genuinely worried. His Majesty seems to care a lot about you.”

“It’s just……he would do that to anyone. He’s a warm-hearted man.”

The words were directed to herself more than a word to Melina.

In reality, he was an upright man, so there was no need to put too much meaning into his actions on that day. Anastasia held herself together in that way.

“When young ladies gathered, they just talked about how cool and reliable His Majesty was that day.”

“…is that so?”

“Yes, he looks so hot in the rain that day.…! I thought he was really sensual and charming; everyone thinks the same. The eyes of the other young ladies looking at the emperor’s majesty are unsettling……”

“L, Lady Lutent, you’re going too far.”

At that moment, a thin voice came from somewhere and rebuked Melina. As Melina turned her head at the panicky voice, Selene was staring at her with a flushed face.

“Gee, you must have forgotten who is in front of you.”

“Ha, it’s you again?”

Melina shot back sharply, turning completely to Selene with a face that looked as if she was amazed.

“I heard that the Empress was kind enough to make you a maid. But don’t you think we should get the subject right? Who’s saying something to whom now?”

“Melina, speaking like that…….”

Anastasia tried to stop Melina before she became ruder to Selene. However, excited Melina didn’t recognize Anastasia’s voice and cut off her words, and eventually crossed the line.

“I am an old friend of the Empress. If Your Majesty has sympathized with your poor situation and is fortunate enough to become a maid, shouldn’t you hurry up and learn the level of who to talk to? Who the hell did you get your education from?…!”

“Lady Lutent!”

A cold, determined voice interrupted Melina. Only then did Melina come to her senses. She looked back at Anastasia with a panicked look on her face.

Anastasia, wearing only a white dress, was sitting on the bed staring at her. However, the confident and powerful atmosphere emanating from those sharp eyes was enough to make her feel as if she was sitting on the throne looking down at her.

Only then did Melina realize that she had made a big mistake and began to stammer out.

“E, Empress, I…… She’s being so arrogant to me…….”

“It seems that you still don’t know who the most arrogant person here is.”

With the hard and cold honorifics that were not the intimate tone she usually heard; Melina realized that something was very wrong.

She hurriedly tried to solve the situation by putting a silly grin around her mouth.

“Y, your Majesty the Empress I must have made a mistake and offended your Majesty. I was so angry that she interrupted….”

“But lady, you also interrupted me, how dare you.”

Anastasia laughed and blocked Melina’s excuse.

“Then were you going to keep saying that? My husband is sensual and attractive, and other young people want to covet him?”

“Your Majesty, I’m just…….”

“I wonder how far the lady would have been rude to me if Selene hadn’t stopped you from talking.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I’m…… I’m sorry!”

Realizing that the situation was getting serious, Melina hurriedly knelt down in front of Anastasia and bowed her head.

She looked 180 degrees different from when she was lecturing Selene in a high-handed manner.

“I’m just… Her Majesty the Empress, who has such a charming person as her husband, is great and enviable……. It was never an impure intention. Please believe me!”

“Well, I’m very disappointed with the lady today. I didn’t know you were so rude and selfish. As the lady said, we have been friends for a long time, I thought I knew you well.”

Anastasia spoke without relieving her cold expression.

“I guess I was mistaken.”

“Your Majesty, please……!”

“Apologize to my maid.”

Melina flinched at Anastasia’s determined words.

She looked at Anastasia with an expression of how she could do this to me. But Anastasia only pressed Melina with a determined look.

“You can’t do it?”

“Your Majesty, to me…… Don’t do this to me.”

“You mean you can’t.”

Anastasia did not give her a long chance. She spoke to Melina in a calm voice.

“Get out of here. I don’t want to see any more.”

“Your Majesty!”

“I won’t force you to apologize. It won’t mean anything to force an apology. But be aware of this.”

Anastasia said, staring at Melina with a glimmer of warmth.

“I didn’t get Selene as my maid out of sympathy. Keep in mind that I won’t stand by if you say such a thing anywhere and talking about her education is also an insult to the Duchess of Rochester, the handmaiden of the Empress. Do you understand?”

“E, Empress…….”

“As the lady said, I will let this one slide because of our long relationship. But if you insult my maids again, I won’t let you go.”

Anastasia, who finished speaking, asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

“You’re not going out?”

Melina fidgeted and eventually left Anastasia’s bedroom crying, and for a while a long cry echoed through her bedroom.

When Anastasia touched her forehead as if she was having a headache at the noise, startled Selene, ran and asked.

“Y, Your Majesty! Are you okay? Should I call the court physician?”

“No, you don’t have to. It’s because it’s suddenly noisy. It’ll be all right soon.”

“I, I….”

Selene hesitated and opened her mouth as if she were about to cry.

“I guess I shouldn’t have stepped up today. My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“What?”

“I thought I offended Lady Lutent for nothing……. B, but she was so rude in front of Her Majesty…….”

“You don’t have to blame yourself, Selene. There’s nothing for you to apologize for. Don’t do that.”

“B, but…….”

“I’d rather give you a reward”

“R, reward?”

“Yeah, when you became my maid I knew everything was hard and scary. Nevertheless, you overcome your fear and plucked up your courage for me, didn’t you?”

Anastasia smiled as if she meant it and stroked Selene’s head.

“I’m so proud of you. I’m glad to have you as my maid.”

“Your Majesty….”

“I didn’t take you for pity only. You’re a very capable and good child. I’m proud that I recognized people well.”

“Well, thank you for saying that……. That’s too much of a compliment…….”

“No, it’s not too much at all. I’m sure one day you’ll prove me right.”

Anastasia asked, looking at Selene with a warm smile.

“Please continue to do your best for me.”

“Of course!”

Selene clenched her fists solemnly and vowed.

“I’ll protect you no matter what happens!”

The figure was so cute that Anastasia laughed without realizing it.